Whether it be for storing information such as documents, photos, or videos, data storage has become an essential part of modem day technology. With the ever increasing amounts of data stored on a daily basis, data storage can become both resource and cost consuming for an entity in the business of storing data. In addition to the large amounts of data that need be stored, storing data is complicated by the variety of ways and purposes the data is used, prompting the decision of what kind of storage is necessary. For example, while flash memory is faster than a spinning hard disk, it is also more costly. Similarly, while compressed data requires less space, it generally takes longer to access. With the increase in data that need be stored and the many different manners of doing so, it becomes increasingly difficult to determine the most cost effective solution to storing data.